The alarm goes off as darkness fades to grey, it’s an early morning start for a train trip to Shrewsbury parkrun.
Watch our Shrewsbury parkrun adventure on our YouTube channel
Iona and I were back to use bikes and trains for our parkrun tourism journey to Shrewsbury and it definitely makes it far more of an adventure even if it does mean a rather early start. The good news was we just had time to grab a coffee and a cookie at New Street station while changing trains.
Arriving at Shrewsbury, the sky was blue, the sun shining and the birds singing as we walked along by the river to the parkun start in Quarry Park. As we arrived we spotted friends who’d come to join us. The Vidlers, now regular co-conpirators on parkrun travels and for whom today was a localish parkrun but also Annabelinda from Kirkcaldy parkrun was joining us as she was in the midlands for the weekend.
The parkrun was beautiful and it’s always great running with friends. It’s a mostly flat parkrun with one “undulation” and great views olong the river and of some of the impressive buildings in the area.
Post parkrun (and a fantastic fast finish by Iona) we headed to the playground, which also has a coffee hut located right next to it. So while children played, adults blethered, supping coffee and sharing a rather delicious Sticky Toffee Biscoff Cake!
As the Vidlers and Annabelinda went off for their separate ways, Iona and I headed into Shrewsbury to explore. There’s plenty to seeand enjoy but our first priority was finding some “brunch” (it was noon by this point). We found
the perfect place in “Nerdy” a cafe which as well as doing great breakfast sandwiches is gaming and events venue, there was a chess club meeting while we were there.
Then, culture time, our wanderings took us to the indoor market hall, museum, Saint Alkmunds church, the library, the castle, Laura’s Tower and the prison (no they didn’t lock us up) and everywhere you go there’s something about Shrewsbury’s most famous son, Charles Darwin, author of “The Origin of Species”.
Finally, before we collapsed of exhaustion, we headed back to the station to wend our way home, another fabulous day of parkrun tourism complete, a great time with friends and enjoying faff and exploration.
Useful Links
- Shrewsbury parkrun
- Nerdy Cafe, Shrewsbury
- Shrewsbury Museum
- Shrewsbury Market Hall
- Shrewsbury Castle
- Adventures of Bunny Shrewsbury (Library Bunny)
- Shrewsbury Prison
Our journey
- Bikes from home to TIle Hill Station in Coventry (1.5 miles)
- London Northwewstern railways to take us from Coventry to Birmingham New Street
- West Midlands Railway from Birmingham to Shrewsbury
- Mile walk from Shrewsbury Station to Quarry Park, the parkrun start
- After parkrun we walked around Shrewsbury before walking back to the station
- Transport for Wales from Shrewsbury to Birmingham
- London Northwewstern railways to take us from Birmingham New Street to Coventry
- Bikes back home from TIle Hill Station (1.5 miles)
Cost of our day’s adventure
- Train tickets (1 adult & 1 child using family railcard) – £16.55
- Coffee and cookie from Leon, New Street Station on journey – £5.34 (pricey!)
- Coffees x 3 and cake at playground – £13.10
- Breakfast at Nerdys – £15
- Chelsea Bun – £1
- Museums etc. – Free (we didn’t pay to actually go in castle or prison)
Total: £50.99
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